Harrow



April 16, 1940- J. c.`PRxcKl-:TT v 2,197,316

HARROW Filed Aug. 8, 1939 v 3 sheets-Sheet 1 tomeys April 16, 1940 J. c. PRlcKETT 2,197,316

HARROW Filed Aug. 8, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 nventor Attorneys Patented Apr. 16, 1940 rare v vHARROW y r John Corniellus Prickett, Anacortes, Viash.v Application August s, 1939,- seral No. 289,024

'Y 3 Claims.. (o1. :J7-40) n My invention relates to improvements in harrows of the rotary type and the primary purpose in view is to provide a simply constructed, easily operated ground-working'implement of this char- 5 acter equipped to break up `and pulverize plowed ground in a shorter spac'eof' time thanharrows -as commonly constructed:` y

The invention also comprehends other, and

subordinate objects,4 all Aofwloich together with, the precise nature of my improvements will be.

readily understood when theV succeeding description and claims are read vwith* reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part ofthe specification. Y

In said drawings-,-

Figure 1 is a View in topplan, partly in section,"

of a harrow constructed in accordance with my invention, Y'

Figure 2 is a fragmentary View.y in' vertical transverse section taken onthe line `Z-ofV Figure 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale, Y

Figure 3 isa vewin transverse section taken on the une 3 3 of Figure rand-snowing theA swingable part Ain forward normalposition, I Figure 4 is a fragmentary View in'rear elevation, f Y' I Figure 5 'is a view similar to Figure 13 but show--Y ing the swingablepart inrearmost position,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view inelevation of l one of the ratchet wheels and thejratchet pawls associated therewith, t

Figure 'l is a View in perspective ofoneof the arms,

Figure 8 is a fragmentarylv'iew in top planillusends of said axle bar, andf'a draft tongue!! attached lto the axle bar I in a manner presently described.

` The axle bar vI supports, between the ground,

Wheels 2,A a pair of parallel arms'rlxedly mounted at' inner ends thereof on said bar to extend at 50.right angles therefrom, in the same direction,A

adjacent opposite ends of the bar and the inner sides of theground wheels, respectively. Preferably said arms 5 are, fixed to the yaxle bar il by' providingthe same with a bifurcated end- 5,'

respectively, iitting over the` axle bar I, and bolts- 'I' extended through `saidy yends vii 'and Vsaid bary Journaled atv its opposite ends in kthe louterjends of the arms 5 is a rotatableto'othed harrow shaft l, the ends of the shaft extending beyond'the outer sides of the arms, as iat 8, fora purpose 5m; presently seen. vThe shaft ,'I is provided with a plurality `of tine-like radial harrow teetharranged in laterally spaced groups on said shaft andadapted to enter the ground; The axle bar I is provided with a plurality Vo'f similar teeth Ill 10 spaced along the same -andextending therefrom parallel with the arms 5 and interspersed with the groups of teeth 9 respectively;

The harrow shaft -l is adapted toibe rotated,

` .under forward rotation of the ground ywhee l's q, l5

in a relatively'greversej directiongas compared with-,the direction of rotationjof said ground wheels, and by vmeans o f` the yfollowing drive gearing. A Vpair of ratchet wheels "IIAv are rotate ablyimounted lon thespindles '3 of thezaxle bar 20 I between the wheels and the arms 5. Ratchetvv pawls I2 pivoted onsaid wheels 2, respectively, and urged kby leaf springsi .as at I3, into engagejment with the ratchet wheels I I, provide forrotation of saidwheels I-I under forward rotatior1j25` of said ground wheels,I vsaid pawls I2 ratcheting r over said -wheels II. under reVerserotationof the ground wheels 2 for a purpose which will be understood. A pair ,of driven. gears. I4' are/fixed to the ratchet wheels IIconcentricallythereof'. 30 The gears I4 mesh constantly'with a pair ofv y smaller driven gearsl f ast on the extended` ends 8- of the harrow shaft l respectively. i

Returning now tothe' axle barpI'; andfthe tongue k4l, said bar lis connected to the rear.end 35 of said Atongue 4 to Aswing forwardly aridf rear wardly thereon about an axis parallerwith the axis of the bar. Theconnection takesthe; form.` of a hinge vI6 having alea fy If'l bolted,as-at I8,

to the underside offsaidtonguek; and ajleaff40 I9 similarlyv secured, as at 20, to oneface of ysaid bar I and extending, las yat ZI., beyondlthe hanf the arrangement being such that saidbarr I is V swingable into a forward normal positiongbelf neath the leaf I'I flat against the same,v as shown' 45 t in Figures 1 and 3 or, rearwardly, throughsubrstantia'lly a 90 arcor movement, intoa rearmost positionin which vittrails the tongue'i as shown in Figurev 5, As will be seen, as aresult of such 'swinging'ofthefaxle bar 1,' theground50 Wheels 2, arms.,fthedescribed drive gearing-'HLW'` I5 and teethf'S and Ill-arel'swung on thetonguefIv about the axis offswin'ging lmovementk of said bar I" from a forward into la rearmost po'sition,and

vice versa. As best shown in .Figure 3, the arms' 5s( v the teeth I0, are elevated above and out of the ground.

A releasable latch mechanism is provided for latching the axle bar I in forward position. The v latch mechanism comprises a leaf spring 22 hav-I A inga front end 23 bolted, as at 24, to the underside of the tongue 4, and .a rear hooked end .25 adapted t0 swing upwardly behind the extension 2I of leaf I9, in the forward position of said bar. The hooked end 25 is provided with an ,arcuate camming end 25 adapted in the rearmost position of said axle bar I to bear upwardly against the same yand whereby said bar I in its `movement to forward position cams said hooked' end 26 downwardly to condition the same to snap behind said bar I into latching position shown in Fig. 3. A latch release lever 2l is pivoted, as at 28, on said tongue4 to be swung in one direction against the spring 22 and depress the vsame into unlatching position. A suitably connected coil spring 29 tensions said lever against movement in said direction. A lever-operating rod 30 is provided for swinging the lever 2I from the front of the harrow. l

The tongue 4 and axle bar I may be braced by means of a pair of brace rods 3| bolted to the tongue 4, as` at 32, and diverging rearwardly to the axle bar 4 upon'opposite sides of the tongue, respectively, the axle bar I being hingedly connected, as at 33, to said bars 3|, respectively, in

the same manner as described with reference to the connection of the axle bar I to the tongue 4.

Inaddition to the foregoing, means are provided for releasably latching the arms 5, and hence the shaft 'I, teeth 9 and teeth I0 in rearmost position. This latching 3means comprises a resilient bar-like nger 34 extending from one arm 5 vertically, in the forward position of the latter, and adapted under swinging of said axle bar I,'and arms 5, into rearmost position, to wipe forwardly and downwardly pastthe outer end of a resilient detent bar 35 extending laterally from one of thebrace bars 3|, said detent bar being `suitably secured at its inner end to said brace bar 3Il and having a cam-like outer end 36 facilitating wiping of the finger 34 past the same. The

. finger 34 and detent bar 35 are formed of flexible metal so as to be swung apart manually for unlatching'of said means.

- As will now be apparent in the forward positionl of the axle bar I and the other swingable parts, the teeth 9 are rotated into and out of the ground under forward travel of the harrow in a direction reverse to that of rotation of the ground wheels 2', that is to say, counterclockwise, so that the ground lis worked with forward strokes by the teeth 9 and thereby .thoroughly brokenup and pulverized. The teeth Il) function, out of the ground, to break up clods thrown rearwardly by the teeth 9. When it is desired to disable the harrow, or, to render the same idle, the axle bar I maybeunlatched, in the manner already described, for rearward swinging movement of the swingable lparts from forward position. When said axle bar I is so unlatched forward pull of the narrow for a short distance, and the drag of the described swingable parts will result in the axle bar I and ground wheels 2, together with the ratchet Wheels I I and driven gears I4 being swung into their rearmost position. Under such swinging of the axle bar I, the arms 5 will be swung to their rearmost position lifting the shaft I and the teeth 9 out of the ground and into rearmost position above the same, the driven gears I5, shaft 'I and teeth 9 idling in a planetary manner around the driving gears I4. `At this point, the swingable parts will be latched in rearmost position by the described latching means 34, 35, 36 for unlatching at will in the manner already described. Upon such unlatching of the swingable parts, from their rearmost position, and under slight .backing of the harrow, the parts will, under gravitational action of the arms 6, shaft l, and teeth 9, IIJ, be swung into forward position in a manner which will now be clear, the axle bar I camming the spring 22 down for snap action latching behind the same as described in the foregoing. l

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to im- I' part a clear understanding of Qmy invention without further explanation.

Manifestly theinvention,` as described, is-susceptible of modificationfwithout departing from-` the inventive concept and right is `hereirrreserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claims What I claim is:

1.` In a harrow of the class described, a draft rigging, a wheel-supported axle pivotally connected to said rigging for lateral swinging adjustment bodily thereon into forward and rearward limits of movement, respectively, a rotary groundworking unit mounted on said axle and swingable thereby into and from ground-engaging position under adjustment of said axle into its forward and rearward limits vof movement, respectively, a planetary gear drive between one of said wheels and said rotary unit, and latch mechanism for releasably .holding said axle in said limits of movement thereof, said ground-working unit comprising a rotaryl shaft operative by said drive reversely relative to the direction of rotation of said one wheel, andy tine-like ground workingl teeth extending radially fromy said shaft' andr movement thereof, said ground-working unitk comprising a rotary shaft operative by said drivereversely relative to the direction .of rotation of said one wheel, and tine-like ground working teeth extending radially from said shaft and arranged thereon in longitudinally spaced series, said axle being provided with similar teeth extending therefrom and interspersed with the series of first-mentioned teeth respectively.

3. In a harrow of the class described, a draft rigging,` a Wheel-supported axle pivotally `connected to said rigging for lateral swinging adjust" ment bodily thereon into forward and rearward limits of movement, respectively, a rotary groundworking unit mounted on said axle and swingalole` thereby into and from ground-engaging position under adjustment of said axle into its forward and rearward limits of movement, respectively, a planetary gear drive betweenone of said wheels and said rotary unit, and vlatch mechanism for i releasably holding said axle in said limits of movement thereof, saidl drive including a pawl and ratchet connection to said one Wheel.`

` JOHN CORNEILS PRICKETT. 

